Det Con Neata Simpson, of Rose Road police station, told Birmingham Crown Court that the victim was now spending the "precious last year of his life" as a frightened prisoner in his own home.

"In his words, he can understand the fact that the cancer was going to kill him, but he cannot get his head around the fact that one human being would want to do this to another.

"He has spent months indoors because of his fear of being attacked again. This has shortened his life."

The pensioner parked in Union Row, just behind Lloyds TSB in Soho Road, before 1pm on August 8. Donovan, the front seat passenger in another car, had been waiting for the space and began hurling a tirade of verbal abuse at the couple and sounding the horn aggressively.

After the pensioner's partner visited the cashpoint and they tried to continue on with their journey, Donovan threw a bottle of Lucozade through their open car window, which landed all over their laps.

The angry pensioner bravely trailed Donovan to Abbey Road North to remonstrate with her.

As soon as he got out of his car, Donovan went to a nearby skip and threw broken pieces of paving slabs at his vehicle before attacking the couple and fleeing the scene.

Donovan handed herself to police next day after she heard that they were looking for her in connection with the brutal attack.